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Tornadoes strike Southwest Florida Sunday as cold front moves across the state

WGCU | By John Davis,
Mike Kiniry, Tara Calligan
Published January 18, 2022 at 2:36 PM EST
2... Firefighters spent much of Sunday morning going door-to-door checking for the injured after a tornado struck in Southwest Florida. As of this report, no injuries or fatalities have been reported in the Century 21 Mobile Home Community in Fort Myers (Iona area), pictured
Kinfay Moroti
2... Firefighters spent much of Sunday morning going door-to-door checking for the injured after a tornado struck in Southwest Florida. As of this report, no injuries or fatalities have been reported in the Century 21 Mobile Home Community in Fort Myers (Iona area), pictured

Clean up efforts continue after a tornado with 118 mph winds touched down in the Iona region of South Fort Myers early Sunday morning.

Lee County officials estimate about $1.1 million dollars in damages with more than one hundred mobile homes damaged and some 30 mobile homes destroyed.

This was just one of a number of tornadoes that touched down across Southwest Florida on Sunday as a massive cold front moved across the state.

On WGCU-FM's Gulf Coast Life, host Mike Kiniry spoke with Florida Public Radio Emergency Network Storm Center meteorologist Megan Borowski to get more information on the front that spawned so many tornadoes. Listen:

FPREN Tornado Update: January 18, 2022

Lee County officials reported four injuries stemming from the tornado on Sunday.

The Tropicana, Century 21 and Point Breeze mobile home parks all suffered damage as did structures in the Gulf Harbour, Kelly Greens and McGregor Woods neighborhoods.

County officials estimate about $1.1 million dollars in damages with more than one hundred mobile homes damaged and some 30 mobile homes destroyed.

The News-Press reports, a shelter that opened at the Wa-Ke Hatchee Recreation Center closed after no one came.

Hundreds of residents remained without power Monday.

Lee County opened a site for impacted residents to drop-off debris at 14790 A&W Bulb Road. The site will reopen today (Tuesday) from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. That site is slated to be open each day this week and into the weekend.

The Red Cross is also helping impacted residents. For help, call 1-800-REDCROSS...Or call the United Way 2-1-1 line.

Red Cross is providing volunteers to help with clean up as well as emergency response vehicles and hundreds of meals.

The Collaboratory has begun a tornado relief fund in partnership with the United Way. Donations can be made online at collaboratory.org.

Other tornados touched down Sunday morning in Collier and Charlotte Counties. A tornado in western Charlotte County caused an estimated $500,000 dollars in damages to nearly three dozen manufactured homes. No injuries with that tornado were reported.

One tornado in Collier County flipped a semi tractor-trailer on its side, temporarily blocking westbound traffic on I-75.

Some sites in Collier experienced flooding from heavy rains.
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WGCU NewsTornadoFPRENWeatherFlorida Public Radio Emergency NetworkLee CountyFort MyersAmerican Red CrossEnvironment
John Davis
jrdavis@wgcu.org
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Mike Kiniry
mkiniry@wgcu.org
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Tara Calligan
tcalligan@wgcu.org
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